The Use of the Infinitive, Instead of a Finite Verb in French (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Benjamin F. Luker

9780266266440: The Use of the Infinitive, Instead of a Finite Verb in French (Classic Reprint)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0266266444 ISBN 13: 9780266266440

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

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Explore how French shifted from Verbs to Infinitives—across history and modern usage.

This scholarly study examines how the infinitive has stood in for finite verbs in French, tracing its roots from Old French commands to later general directions, and the notable forms like or du bien faire and the historical infinitive. Based on a careful survey of texts from Psalms to chansons de geste, the work situates four key constructions and clarifies how usage evolved over centuries.

The book centers on four main constructions and their development:

The infinitive used as an imperative in negative sentences in Old French

The infinitive used as an imperative in modern French for broad commands and references

Old‑French negative imperatives and the rise of the infinitive as a substitute
Modern French commands that employ the infinitive and the scope of “one” or “people”
Phrases like or du bien faire and or de Valer, showing the imperative force with the infinitive

Additionally, the study covers the historical infinitive (de plus the infinitive) and its use alongside other verb forms, drawing on examples from a wide range of medieval and early modern sources. The text includes discussion, examples, and references that illuminate how this construction emerged and persisted.

Ideal for readers of linguistics, historical French syntax, and philology who value careful analysis and concrete evidence from primary sources.

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